


Unsinkable

by armajesty



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Day of Hearts (Disney: Tangled), Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M, Sailing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:20:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28417506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/armajesty/pseuds/armajesty
Summary: Varian and Hugo decide to spend their Day of Hearts sailing. Things don't always go to plan.
Relationships: Hugo/Varian (Disney: Varian and the Seven Kingdoms)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	Unsinkable

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thanks to Glace and Puff for editing this one!
> 
> I am sad to say that I am not back, just simply posting on old work of mine.

The water lapped against Varian's feet as he stood along the shores of Corona. He wiggled his toes, cringing at the feeling of sand beneath them.

The boys had finally received a day off from their constant maintenance of the library in honor of the Day of Hearts, permission granted by Rapunzel, of course.

The Day of Hearts had always been an annoying day for Varian. He’d never gotten to see his parents celebrate, unlike the other children his age. Instead, when the holiday rolled around, he and his father continued with their lives as normal, avoiding the festivities like the plague.

This year marked the first time that Varian felt he was able to participate in the romantic celebration. However, he wasn’t too fond of the crowds that filled the streets of Corona, and opted to follow Hugo’s sailing proposal in lieu of attending one of Rapunzel’s big festivals.

Varian adjusted the leather satchel that was slung over his shoulder, the extra weight constantly on his mind. Rapunzel had been kind enough to lend him the bag and its contents after  _ much _ pleading. He unbuckled the straps that secured the cover in place before he peeled it away from the opening. Varian peered into the satchel to ensure he had everything he needed. Tucked inside was a quill, a vial of ink, and Herz der Sonne’s journal.

“Are you coming, Goggles?” Hugo called. Varian quickly closed the bag and buckled up the straps to ensure it wouldn’t come open. He made his way towards his boyfriend, who was balancing on a small sailboat.

“You’re sure you know how to do this?” Varian questioned as he climbed onto the boat. He tried to steady himself, not used to the gentle rocking of the waves. Hugo took Varian’s hand and helped him retain his balance. 

“I’ve rigged the boat, so I’m ready to go whenever you are,” Hugo informed him as he helped Varian settle down next to the tiller that was located near the stern of the boat. He picked up the tiller and placed it in Varian’s hands.

“Wait! Aren’t you going to explain this to me first?” Varian questioned, gripping onto the wooden pole.

Hugo took a seat across from Varian, a sly grin on his face.

“I believe in learning on the job. And besides, I’m giving you the easy job,” Hugo pointed out. “The tiller helps control which direction we’re going.” He watched as Varian fiddled with the tiller, pushing it away from himself and then pulling it back towards him.

“Okay, yeah. This isn’t too bad,” Varian said. He watched as Hugo picked up an oar that had been strewn across the deck. He pushed it through the water, propelling them slowly forward. 

Varian had never been boating before. He’d barely even been out on the water. His lifetime of practicing alchemy in his basement and working on the farm with his father had not prepared him for this trip. Varian could only hope for the day to pass perfectly. He knew that any bump in the road could ruin his plans.

The ravenette tightened his grip on the wooden tiller, digging his fingers into the many crevices along it.  _ This was gonna work out _ .

\---

Varian had begun to doubt his skill when it came to sailing, not that he had any to begin with.

Varian’s skin burned uncomfortably from the constant rub of the wooden tiller against his skin. He was almost positive he had a sliver of wood lodged in his thumb, and could see the irritated blisters slowly forming on his fingers. He knew his hands would be more calloused if they weren’t constantly shielded by his alchemist gloves, although Varian had opted not to bring them in case they got filled with water.

Hugo seemed so confident at the front of the boat, and Varian couldn’t help but envy him. He was a skilled sailor, that much Varian could confirm. He watched as his boyfriend tugged at the rope in his hands, tightening the smaller sail at the front. His own lack of proper terminology only further cemented his doubt. He had no idea what he was doing.

Varian kept his eyes trained on Hugo, unable to tear them away. There was something about the other boy’s dedication to the craft that had Varian captivated. He noticed the sweat that dripped down the back of Hugo’s neck, soaking into his shirt. Occasionally, when Hugo would reach up to adjust something with the sail, his shirt would tug upwards and reveal his stomach.

Varian could watch him all day. It was almost enough to distract from the pain in his hands.

_ Almost. _

“Watch out for the boom!” Hugo called from his position near the bow of the ship.

“What’s a boo--” Varian voice cut out, replaced with a cry of pain as the wooden beam supporting the main sail swung towards him, smacking him square in the forehead. He released the tiller and brought his hands up to his face to press them against the area.

Hugo barely contained his laughter as he secured the jib before making his way closer to Varian. The blonde ducked under the boom, reaching up to bat Varian’s hands away from his forehead. 

“That’s gonna leave a mark,” he teased, running his thumb over the already reddening area. Varian batted his hand away and grabbed the tiller once more. He pulled it towards him, causing the boat to veer to the left. Hugo, who was knocked onto his ass by the sudden movement, threw a sharp glare at Varian.

“You deserve it,” Varian grumbled as a cocky grin made its way onto his face. “Next time, you’ll teach me about the giant swinging beam that just hit me in the face  _ before _ we’re on the water.”

“It’s called the boom,” Hugo corrected with a wink as he made his way back towards the bow. He settled down, keeping his gaze on the water ahead of them. “And make sure you correct the rudder, or we’ll go the wrong way.”

Varian rolled his eyes dramatically before straightening out the tiller to get them back on track. He knew they had a  _ long _ trip ahead of them. 

Varian relished in the silence that had fallen between them, keeping his gaze trained on Hugo's back. There was something about watching him sail that impressed Varian. He hadn't known about Hugo’s sailing capabilities before today.  _ What other things don’t I know about Hugo?  _ Varian wondered to himself. He knew that his boyfriend was a half-decent cook. Hugo could haggle his way down to any pricepoint with the vendors at the farmer's market in Corona. He was  _ amazing _ at horse-back riding, and even better at pickpocketing, but sailing came as a surprise to Varian.

"Where did you learn to sail like this?" Varian asked, though he regretted the words instantly the moment he caught Hugo's hesitation to answer.

"Donella taught me," he started, a bittersweet smile forming on his face, "it was one of the first jobs we did together. I was still pretty young, and I'm almost positive the reason she went with me was because she didn't trust me to go alone."

Varian couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable at the mention of Donella. He knew that it was odd of him to focus on that specific detail in Hugo’s story, but every time he was reminded of the older woman he was taken back to the end of their quest. The pair hadn’t spoken much about Hugo’s betrayal after the events that took place within the library. They’d never felt the need to, since Varian had been so quick to forgive Hugo. There wasn’t a single drop of bad blood between them but, to Varian, Donella was an entirely different story.

"We ended up raiding another boat. We stole some useless scroll off of them, but Donella sold it for a high price. After that day I kind of fell in love with sailing. I would always volunteer to take part in schemes that let me," he said. Varian could tell that talking with him about Donella made Hugo feel uneasy, but there was a fondness in his voice as he recited the anecdote.

The story made Varian question his hatred for Donella. A part of him felt like he would always despise her, that there was no possibility for her to redeem herself after what she had done. But she  _ had _ been the person to take Hugo in as a child. She had raised him and kept him safe when he had nowhere else to go. Varian could at least respect her for that.

He ran his fingers along the tiller, using it as a distraction from his own overthinking. He tightened his grip on the wood, trying to bury down his own confused feelings in regards to Donella. Varian wished he had never said anything, as interested as he was in knowing more about Hugo.

“Okay,” Hugo clapped his hands together to shake Varian from his thoughts. Startled by the loud sound, he glanced over his shoulder and realized they had made it a decent distance away from the island.

“It’s time I teach you a little bit about our lovely lady,” he said as he sprung to his feet. Varian watched as Hugo ducked under the boom and strode his way over to the ravenette’s side. He wrapped an arm around Varian's shoulders and pulled him close.

Varian listened patiently as Hugo began to recite the proper terminology for the various components of their sailboat. The blonde gestured to the different parts of the boat as he listed them off. The collection of new information seemed unending to a beginner like himself. Varian learned about the small sail at the bow of the ship, called the jib, and the jib sheet which controlled the tightness of it. The jib, mainsail, and rudder all worked together in harmony to control the direction they were sailing.

Varian was a bit overwhelmed by the number of unique terms there were to learn, but he did his best to listen anyways. He could see how passionate Hugo truly was about sailing from the cheerful grin plastered onto his face. Even if Varian couldn't fully comprehend how to sail, he was more than happy to listen to his partner.

"Does that make sense?" Hugo asked, intertwining his fingers with Varian’s now that he had finished with his lesson. Varian nodded his head in response, leaning against his boyfriend. 

"It's a lot to take in, but I think I've got the basics," he responded. As a result of Hugo’s infectious excitement, Varian made a mental note to take a deeper look into sailing through the eternal library’s resources. 

"You're smart, sweetcheeks. I'm sure you'll get a hang of it in no time," Hugo said as he lifted their hands and pressed a gentle kiss against Varian’s knuckles. He released his hold on Varian before making his way back to the front of the ship to adjust the jib sheet so the boat could pick up speed.

Varian's cheeks flushed red as the wind picked up and ruffled his already unruly hair. 

_ Sun above, I could spend the rest of my life with this boy. _

\---

Hugo and Varian had switched spots on the sailboat so that Varian could get a good feel for manning the sail, but he soon came to regret that action as grey clouds began to roll in overhead. A storm was brewing. And just when he'd been so sure their outing was going just as planned.

"We should turn back," Varian suggested. "I'm sure we can spend the rest of the day in the lab, right? That's equally romantic."

He watched as Hugo took a look up at the sky. Varian knew his boyfriend was internally debating what their next course of action should be. Despite trusting the blonde, he couldn’t stop a sinking feeling from settling in his gut as nerves took over. 

"We'll be fine, freckles. I'm sure it'll just be a bit of rain. You aren’t allergic to the rain, are you?" Hugo teased. Varian responded with a scowl, shaking his head.

"If we drown, it's on you," Varian said as he jabbed a finger in Hugo’s direction.

Mere minutes after Hugo’s assurance, a storm swept in and the wind picked up. It pushed harshly against the sails, causing Varian to feel more and more uneasy. He clutched the satchel close to his chest with his free hand, the other tightly clinging to the boat. 

With the wind growing increasingly violent, the waves began to knock into the side of their small sailboat, tilting them off course. Varian’s panicked eyes met Hugo’s stoic ones as the blonde worked to keep the sails steady under the pressure from the wind.

“Switch spots with me,” Hugo instructed, knowing he was best suited to man the sails considering the weather. Varian could see the tension radiating off of him, and moved to the rear without a word. A particularly large wave hit them moments after they had switched positions and Varian cringed as his shoes became soaked with water.   
  
“Shit!” Hugo cursed, opening a storage compartment on the boat. He pulled out a metal pail before tossing it to Varian. “Scoop as much water as you can out.”.

Varian dipped the bucket into the bow and watched as water flowed into it. Once the bucket was mostly full he hauled the water over the side of the ship before repeating the process. Just as Varian found a steady rhythm that allowed him to scoop out as much water as possible, Hugo called out his name.

"Varian! Hold on!" he warned.

Before Varian knew what was happening a large wave crashed into their boat, causing it to tilt precariously to the side. He fell backwards. The back of his head made contact with the boom before he found himself submerged underwater.

His body felt like lead as he was dragged downwards into the depths of the ocean. Varian began to lose consciousness as darkness crept further and further into his vision. He let his eyes fall closed just as his lungs began to burn.  _ Is this it…?  _ he wondered. He couldn’t help but feel numb as he drifted away.

Varian startled as he felt a pair of thin arms curl around his waist. He was suddenly being dragged upwards. It felt like an eternity until they breached the surface, Varian desperately gasping for air once they did so.

He felt himself being pulled up onto the rocking ship before Hugo's face appeared in his line of sight. The rough wood of the hull dug into his back, and with one glance to the rudder sticking out of the bottom of the ship at his side, Varian was able to piece together their situation. The boat had capsized.

"Varian?" Hugo called, giving his shoulders a rough shake.

Varian blinked up at Hugo and forced a weak smile. He reached upwards and placed his hand on Hugo's cheek. Hugo sighed in relief at the gesture, curling over his boyfriend as another wave struck the boat. Varian tried to help Hugo as the older dragged them closer to the rudder. He watched the blonde latch onto the rudder and then wrapped his free arm around Varian. At his side, the satchel was soaked to the brim, but Varian couldn't be bothered. He curled closer to Hugo, laying in his arms as the storm continued.

\---

It felt like centuries had passed before the storm finally blew over. Hugo hadn't made an attempt to move, in fear that things would only grow worse. Once the waves had settled, Hugo heaved himself into a sitting position.

“Are you okay?” he asked Varian, helping the boy sit himself up. Varian blinked up at Hugo before slowly nodding his head.   
  


“Yeah,” he responded. His eyes widened suddenly before his hands shot downwards to open the satchel at his side. He tugged out a journal, which had been soaked through by the water.

“Dammit!” Varian cursed as he peeled open the pages. Ink bled across the pages, badly smudged because of the water. He slammed it closed before burying his face into his hands. “I promised Rapunzel I would keep the journal safe.”

Hugo rested a hand on Varian’s shoulder. “Relax, Hairstripe, let’s get the boat upright again, and then we can worry about the book,” he instructed as he climbed to his feet. Hugo’s muscles protested at the movement, still sore from when he’d heaved himself and Varian out of the water.

With endless guidance from Hugo, the pair was able to get the boat upright again. They both found it exhausting, and simultaneously decided to sprawl out across the hull, which was still filled with water. After that short break, Varian began to use his hands to scoop the liquid out of the hull, seen as the bucket from earlier disappeared in the storm. Hugo laughed as he watched Varian’s sad attempts before tugging off one of his boots. He filled the shoe with water before hauling it over the side, a much more efficient tactic than Varian’s.

Hugo sighed in relief once most of the water had been tossed overboard. He leaned backwards, taking a good look up at the sails above him. Lucky for them, neither the jib, nor the mainsail had been damaged in the storm. He corrected the rigging until he was satisfied. Hugo was quick to turn the boat around, starting them back towards the shores of Corona in case the weather turned sour once again.

A loud groan from the bow of the ship caused his attention to turn towards Varian, who was tightly clutching the book from earlier. Hugo furrowed his brows and leaned below the boom in order to get a good look at his partner’s face.  _ He looks like a kicked puppy, _ Hugo thought as he stifled a laugh.

“What’s wrong, sweetcheeks?” he asked, his voice playful in an attempt to cheer Varian up. It must’ve been exactly the question his boyfriend needed because the next words spilled out of Varian’s mouth without pause.

“This was supposed to be our first day off since we opened the library but in the end everything was ruined and I wanted us to sign this stupid book together but now it’s soaked and all of the ink inside is smudged and everything turned out to be so disastrous!” he cried, hugging the soaked journal to his chest. “It’s the Day of Hearts, Hugo… I just wanted us to sign Herz de Sonne’s journal together.”

Hugo rose to his feet, making his way to Varian’s side. He plopped down beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Hugo used his free hand to pluck the book from Varian’s hands. He flipped through the pages, pausing once he reached one without bleeding ink. 

“What’s so special about signing it anyways?” Hugo asked as he fished the wet quill and bottle of ink out of Varian’s satchel.

“Almost every couple within Corona has signed their name in the Book of Hearts,” Varian started as his cheeks flushed red. “I know it’s stupid, but I really _ , really _ love you Hugo, and I just… I feel as if signing this journal shows other people that too.”

A smile worked its way onto Hugo’s face as he leaned into Varian’s side. He carefully removed the cork from the bottle of ink and placed it to the side before dipping the quill into the ink.

“It’s a cute sentiment, but some ‘book of hearts’ isn’t the only way to show me that you care. I know you care because of your actions, and because of the way you’re blushing right now,” he teased as he shimmied up against Varian suggestively. “It’s because of the way your face lights up whenever you look at me, and the kisses and stolen glances we share, or the flowers and gifts that you leave around the library that you  _ think _ I haven’t noticed.”

If Varian’s face could’ve gone any redder, then Hugo was positive he would turn into a tomato. He turned away from his boyfriend, beginning to scribble his name onto the page. After he had finished writing he drew a small heart beside it before handing the book to Varian. Hugo watched as Varian wrote his name on the page right next to Hugo’s. His hand had a slight tremble to it which showed through in his writing, but he pushed on nonetheless.    
  


Once he had finished writing he turned his attention back to Hugo. The blonde took the quill from his hand and tucked the ink and quill back into Varian’s satchel. He pulled away from Varian and placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“Keep that in the sun, okay? If you close it then the ink will just smudge from the water,” he instructed as he made his way back to the ship. “I’ll focus on getting us back to the shore without another hitch.”

Varian couldn’t help but nod in response, the words still not forming in his head. He’d truly intended for today to be perfect, and though they’d almost drowned he couldn’t help but think that it  _ had _ been perfect in their own, twisted way. Everything about the trip just felt so much like  _ them. _ They weren’t perfect, and they’d had a lot of bumpy patches in their relationship, but even so, things turned out in their favour.

Hugo completed him. He was able to show him a good time, even when things were falling apart. He was arrogant and a tease, but he always knew how to say just what Varian wanted to hear. Varian knew he was head over heels for the boy. If he wasn’t then he never would’ve asked him to do something as superficial as proclaiming their love in the Book of Hearts--

_ The Book of Hearts _ .

The same book that he had  _ begged _ Rapunzel to let him take sailing, all while promising he wouldn’t let anything happen to it.

The same book that he had accidentally doused in water.

The same book that was stained with ink smudges on almost every page, the previous signatures almost impossible to make out.

“ _ Oh _ . Rapunzel is going to kill me,” Varian realized as he stared down at their signatures on the page. He was ready for the unavoidable earful he would receive from her the moment they returned to the castle. However, in the end, Varian couldn’t help but know that it was worth it.

The whole trip had simultaneously been a disaster while also being everything Varian had ever wanted it to be. But for him and Hugo, it was perfect.


End file.
